The Wrecks of Coron Bay
Situated in the west-most chain of islands of the Philippines, Coron Bay is a natural anchorage separating Busuanga and Culion Islands. The fringes of the bay are peppered with little button islands covered in dense forest. A scene typical of the Philippines.
In September 1944 allied forces were advancing towards Japan through the Philippines. Photoreconnaissance revealed that some of the islands in Coron Bay were moving between each day's pictures! A well camouflaged Japanese supply base had been discovered.
A carrier air strike was launched, with the pilots claiming to have sunk 24 naval and merchant ships. Like most war time pilots' reports, this may have been optimistic, because to date less than half of the wrecks have been located. Following over 50 years beneath the sea they are now covered in corals and home to a wide selection of reef fish. An ideal destination for some adventurous diving.
The largest military wreck is the Akitsushima, a flying boat tender. Unlike freighters, the Akitsushima is long and narrow with a high sharp bow, obviously built for more speed. A flat deck area and an enormous crane for servicing flying boats dominate the stern. With the wreck lying on its port side, the crane stretches out over the sea bed at 38 metres. Above the deck is an interesting assortment of gun platforms and warship superstructure. Inside are the narrow corridors of a warship, rather than the wide corridors of a freighter.
Another excellent wreck is the Tae Maru, a 10,000 tonne tanker. Of all the wrecks in Coron Bay, the Tae Maru has the largest shoals of fishes and densest corals, at least partly because it lies close to a pearl farm - any fishing boats in the area are seen off by the pearl farm's armed security patrols! Fortunately for us, divers were considered OK as long as they stayed on the wreck.
Pipe work and gantries across the deck provide an artificial reef structure which is covered in corals and home to numerous fish, including some colourful bat fish and lion fish.
Don't just visit Coron Bay for the wrecks. There are some spectacular coral reefs and walls. Perhaps one of the weirdest sights of my trip was a black and white spotted nudibranch the size of a small shoe which could reliably be found on purple sponges.
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